The Top Choices Feature Amazing Rock Formations and a Living Museum
City of Rocks State Park
Formed of volcanic ash welded together 30 million years ago, then sculpted by wind and water into rows of monolithic blocks, these incredible rock formations give City of Rocks State Park its name. Hiking trails and a public night sky observatory add to this unique destination. To get to City of Rocks State Park from Deming, take US 180 northwest 24 miles; then go northeast on NM 61 for 4 miles to the park access road.
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park is an indoor/outdoor living museum displaying more than 40 native animal species and hundreds of succulent plants from around the world. Visitors to the park can enjoy a 1.3 mile self-guided tour, discovering many faces of the Chihuahuan Desert, from sand dunes and pygmy forest to the desert floor. Living Desert's greenhouse features hundreds of succulents and cacti from around the world, including barrel cacti and ocotillo. Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park is on the northwest edge of Carlsbad off US 285.
Sugarite Canyon
Located on the Colorado border, Sugarite Canyon State Park features heavily wooded mountains and meadows. An extended cliff of basaltic rock columns, often referred to as "caprock" is the dominant geologic feature at the park. In the winter, visitors can enjoy ice skating on a section of Lake Maloya, as well as hiking, and cross-country skiing. To get to Sugarite Canyon State Park, take I-25 exit 452 at Raton, follow NM 72 east for 3.5 miles, and go north on NM 526 for about two miles to the visitor center, as shown on this map of the area.
Return to Best of the Best Winter State Parks page
